True Blue

CHAPTER 19

WHAT YOU’RE DOING is a mistake.”

Beth had changed from her uniform into sweats. She’d pumped some dumbbells and done a half hour on the elliptical set up in the lower level of her house. It was nearly midnight yet neither sister seemed sleepy as they sat across from each other in the living room. Blind Man was curled up by Mace’s feet.

“I thought you wanted me to take the job.”

“I’m talking about Roy Kingman. You shouldn’t be hanging out with him.”

“Why not?”

“We haven’t cleared him as a suspect in the Tolliver murder, that’s why. You’re on probation. That means avoiding all contact with people of questionable character.”

“But that’s the reason I am hanging out with him. To keep tabs on him.”

“You could be passing time with a killer.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“You were undercover then.”

“I’m sort of undercover now.”

“You’re not a cop anymore.”

“Once a cop always a cop.”

“That’s not how it works. And I thought we had this discussion?”

“Maybe we did.”

“I’m working the case, Mace. You start poking around then it might get all blown up. And that hurts you and me. You need to focus on moving forward with your life.”

Mace sat back and said resignedly, “Okay, okay, I hear you.”

“Good, I’ll hold you to that. So when do you start with Altman?”

“Two days. And he wants me to move into the guesthouse on his property.”

Beth looked surprised. “I thought you’d stay with me for a while.”

“I can actually do both. Hang here and hang there when work requires it.”

“Okay,” Beth said, her disappointment clear.

“I’m not abandoning you.”

“I know. It’s just been two years without you. I need a big Mace Perry fix.”

Mace gripped her sister’s arm. “You’ll get it. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Before we get all blubbery, Mom called. She’d like to see you.”

Mace punched a pillow she was holding. “That’s actually the only thing that could make me cry. When?”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Will you come with me?”

“I’ve got a full schedule, sorry.”

“Does she still live on the plantation with all the slaves?”

“The last time I checked she was paying her staff a living wage.”

“And hubby?”

“Firmly under her thumb and usually not underfoot.”

“How about instead of doing the visit I run naked through Trinidad in northeast with ‘DEA’ stenciled on my back?”

“Might be safer, actually. Oh, Lowell Cassell said hello. And he also said, ‘You tell Mace that there is indeed a heaven and Mona Danforth will never make it there.’”

“I knew I loved him. So what did he find?” She added quickly, “I’m not poking around, just curious.”

“Tolliver was raped.”

“Sperm leave-behind?”

“Yes. He also found a couple of foreign pubic hairs and a bit of fiber. There were also soil stains on Tolliver’s clothing.”

Mace rose. “Well, I guess I should get some sleep if I’m going to survive Mom. You turning in?”

Beth had pulled out her BlackBerry and was answering e-mails. “Just two hundred and sixty-three to go.”

“You still answer every e-mail in twenty-four hours?”

“It’s part of the job.”

“You still never turn it off, do you?”

Beth looked up. “Like you ever did?”

“I had some fun.”

“I’ve had fun too.”

“Yeah, your ex was a real barrel of laughs. I lost two years, sis, you lost eight.”

“I’m not saying it was all Ted’s fault. My career-”

“It wasn’t like he didn’t know that going in.”

Beth stopped thumbing the BlackBerry. “Get some shuteye, you’re going to need all your energy for Mom.”